Gate-opening mechanism



(No Model.)

lC. E. MATHERS. GATE OPENING MEGHANISM.

Patented'JaJn. 31,1893.

. A wf UNITED STATES CHESTER E. MATHERS, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

PUSHMATAHA, ALABAMA.

GATE-OPENING NIECHANISIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 490,974, dated January 31, 1893.

Application filed August 27, 1892. Serial No. 4441316 (N0 111051613 I T all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, CHESTER E. MATHERS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Pushmataha, in the county of Choctaw and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gate-Operating Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for operating gates, whereby a gate may be opened by a person on horseback or in a buggy, or other vehicle, without dismounting or getting out of the vehicle, and may be retained in an open position until the person and his horse or vehicle have passed through, when the gate will of its own Weight swing to its closed position, and it has for its object to provide a novel, simple, economical and efficient device for this purpose which may be applied to gates of the ordinary type.

To this end my said invention consists in the novel combination, construction, arrangement and operation of parts hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a perspective view of a gate with my improved device applied thereto.

In the said drawing the numerals l, 2, rep-- resent posts of any ordinary or suitable construction to one of which 2, are secured upper and lower pintle portions 3,-of hinges whereby the gate 4 is hinged to swing upon the said post 2, in opening and closing, the other or socket portions 5 of said hinges being being secured to the gate4. The pintle portions 3 of said hinges' are formed with camrecesses 6, and the socket portions 5, thereof are formed with corresponding cam projections 7, whereby after the gate is opened and the cord, rope or chain, hereinafter described, released, said gate will close of its own weight, as will be readily understood.

The post 1 is provided at a suitable point intermediate its ends with a recess 8, in which, or in front of which, is secured a latch-plate 9, provided with a central recess 10, said latch-plate being inclined from its ends to the recess 10, whereby the latch hereinafter rei ferred to may ride up either incline when the gate is closing, and drop into the recess 1Q, thus securing the gate in its closed position. Sufcient space is left between the upper end of the recess 8, and the upper end ofthe latch` plate 9, to permit the latch to pass.

Pivoted at its rear end to the gate 4, and at its front end adapted to engage the recess 10 in the latch-plate 9, is a latch 11, which may be of any suitable material and construction.

A bar or arm 12 is fixedly secured in any suitplane land at right angles to the bar 'or arm 12. The bars 12 and 13 may be connected by braces, as shown. At or near the ends of the arm or bars 12 and 13, recesses are formed in which are disposed grooved pulleys 14, and in the top rail of the gate 4, directly above the latch 11, two recesses areV provided 'and in said recesses grooved pulleys 15 are ar-v ranged.

The numeral 16 represents a cord, rope, chain which is secured to the latch 11, and the other end of which is then trained over one of the grooved pulleys 15, and then over the grooved pulley 14 at one lend of the bar or arm 12, over the pulley 14 in the bar or arm 13, over the pulley 14, at the other end of the bar or arm 1 2, and then over the second pulley 15, from whence it is carried down and secured to the latch 11. p

The manner of operating my improved device is. as follows: When it is desired to open 'or other suitable flexible device, one end of the gate the operator takes hold of the cord,

chain or other analogous part and moves it in the direction indicated by the arrow in full lines, whereby the latch ll-will be released from the latch plate 9,and continuing his hold upon the said cord 16 the gate is caused to swing open as the operator passes to and IOO or rope 16, is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in dotted lines; Otherwise the Operation is the same. The bar or arm extends a sufficient distance from the post 2, to enable a horseman or person traveling in a buggy or other conveyance to grasp the cord,

rope Or chain 16 and open the gate Withoutl disniounting or alighting.

The improved device herein described may up be applied to almost any gate of Ordinary construction, as will be obvious.

Having thus described my invention What` The combination with a latch post '1, a gate post 2, and a gate t hinged to the gate post 'and provided with a latch 11 and pulleys 15,

of a horizontal bar or arm l2 secured intermediate its extremities to the gate post, ex-

tending substantially parallel with the road-- 

